D’var Torah – January 31

I hope this finds you well.

400 years of suffering and slavery in Egypt, the call of Moses to leadership, the vastness of the ten plagues, and the exodus of our people from a kingdom from which had so brutally oppressed them. It is one of the most formative chapters in the annals of the Jewish people. And how do we recall this enormity? We…don’t partake in any Mac and Cheese or Oreos for a week. Really?!?!

On the face of it, not getting to enjoy a pizza, sandwich of your choice, or your favorite pasta dish for seven to eight days may sound annoying and inconvenient, even cheap, maybe even comical considering the magnitude and scale of what we are trying to honor and remember.

In this week’s parsha of Bo*, we receive multiple commandments regarding the temporary removal of chametz (leavened bread) from our lives, such as the destruction of it in our households on the 14th day of Nisan the consumption of only matzah, and the prohibition of having, possessing, or eating any chametz during the chag (festival).[1]

But why?

Of course, there is the obvious, clear link between Pharaoh’s order that the Children of Israel leave immediately (which meant that the bread they were baking did not have enough time to rise) with the eating of Matzah and abstention of leavened food.

However, I think it goes far beyond that. Perhaps the point of the mitzvot is that with each bite of matzah and with every time during Pesach (Passover) that we want chametz but forego it, we are reminded of the trials and tribulations of ancestors, of Moses and God, and the exodus from the house of bondage. The Exodus made us who we are. Hence, matzah and chametz are meant to bring us back constantly to this life-changing moment.

Sometimes in life, even the smallest gestures can have exponential meaning and immense value. The apples dipped in honey on Rosh Hashanah remind us to have a sweet new year, the yahrzeit candle reminds us of our loved ones of blessed memory, and the mezuzah reminds us of our sacred connection with God. As the Jewish poet Solomon Blumgarten penned, “All the roadways small and great, lead unto thy kingdom’s gate.”

Bizrat HaShem, may we always remember to treat every symbol, act, or object, no matter how unique or mundane, as a holy moment in time and as a sacred link that connects us to our forebears, our faith, and God.

Wishing you a Good Shabbos and a great weekend.

Bivrakha,

Rabbi Aaron Stucker-Rozovsky

Beth El Congregation | 520 Fairmont Ave, Winchester, VA 22601

(540) 667-1889 (office)